The Traveler of Twenty Years

By Habib

Once there was a poor man who married a young woman. He was struggling financially. He worked hard in his village but could barely make ends meet. After their first child was born, he decided to leave on a long journey in search of work, hoping to improve his life. Before departing, he made an agreement with his wife: she should wait for him for twenty years. If he was even a day late returning, she would have the right either to stay with him or leave him as she wished.

So, the man set off, leaving behind his wife and their month-old son. In a faraway land, he began working for a miller, who treated him well. Nearly twenty years passed like this.

One day, he told his master he wished to return home and spend the rest of his life with his family. But the miller said, “Stay with me one more year.” The man explained his situation and the agreement with his wife. The miller replied, “I only have three gold bricks left. Take these with you.”

The man started his journey home, carrying the three gold bricks. Along the way, he was joined by three fellow travellers—two young men and an elderly man. The old man never spoke a word, though whenever he looked at birds, he laughed to himself.

The man asked the young travellers, “Who is this old man?”

“He’s our father,” they replied.

“Why does he keep laughing?”

One of the young men said, “He understands the language of birds. When they say something amusing, he laughs.”

“Why doesn’t he talk to anyone?” the man asked.

“He doesn’t talk for free,” they answered. “Each word from him comes at a price.”

“How much does he charge per word?” asked the man.

“One piece of gold for a single piece of advice,” they told him.

The man thought, I’m already poor. A little poorer won’t hurt me. Let me hear at least one piece of advice.

He handed over one gold brick to the old man, who said only, “Never cross a raging river.” Then he fell silent.

They continued walking. The man pondered the old man’s strange wisdom. Curiosity got the better of him, and he offered the second gold brick.

This time, the old man paused and said, “If you see hawks circling up and down, go and check what’s there.” Then he fell silent again.

The man thought, I’ve seen many hawks circling before and never paid them much mind. But what harm is there in spending my last brick?

So, he gave the third gold brick.

The old man told him, “Before making any big decision, silently count from one to twenty-five.”

After that, the old man said no more, and soon they parted ways.

The man continued alone until he reached a roaring river, churning like a wild elephant. Tree trunks and debris rushed past in the current, making it deadly to cross. He remembered the old man’s first advice and decided not to wade into the river.

Sitting on the bank, he was about to eat some dry bread when he noticed a man on a white horse approaching. The horseman called out, “Why don’t you cross the river?”

“It’s too dangerous,” the man replied.

“Nonsense!” said the horseman. “I cross rivers like this all the time.”

The man and his horse entered the river—but within moments, the raging water swept them away. The horse managed to swim back to shore, but the rider drowned.

The man caught the horse, mounted it, and searched until he found a bridge. He crossed the river safely and continued his journey home.

Further along, he noticed hawks circling in the sky. Remembering the second piece of advice, he dismounted and quietly approached. Hidden among thick trees, he discovered three dead bodies with vultures swooping down. Near the corpses lay a leather bag. When he opened it, he found it was stuffed with gold coins.

Those were the bodies of highway robbers who’d looted a caravan and come into the forest to divide their loot. But a dispute broke out, and they shot each other dead.

The man took the bag of gold and the robbers’ guns and rode homeward.

By the time he reached his village, it was dusk. He thought, let me check through the window to see whether my wife is still there.

Peering inside, he saw a table laden with all kinds of food. His wife sat on one side of the table, and a young, unfamiliar man sat opposite her, his back to the window.

The man’s face turned pale with rage. So this unfaithful woman has brought a stranger into my house! he thought.

He quietly drew his pistol, loaded it, and aimed it at the young man. But before pulling the trigger, he remembered the third piece of advice—to count silently to twenty-five before making a big decision.

He began counting. As he reached the count, he heard the young man say to his wife, “Mother, tomorrow I will go look for my father. Maybe I’ll find him.”

He then asked, “Mother, how many years has it been since Father left?”

“Son,” she answered, “it’s been exactly twenty years. When your father left, you were only a month old.”

Hearing this, the man thanked God for reminding him to be patient. Otherwise, he would have killed his own son. Tears filled his eyes. He called through the window, “Come out, both of you! The guest you’ve been waiting for all these years has finally returned.”

Moral:

A person should always think carefully before making big decisions, so they don’t regret acting rashly. Especially in moments of intense emotion—whether anger or joy—one should avoid hasty choices.